Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA): Step-by-Step Surgical Photo Tour • Step 19 of 24

Surgical Step Description
Planar osteotomy of the everted patella using a calibrated patellar cutting guide or freehand technique, beginning inferiorly at the patellar nose to maintain uniform 12–15 mm residual bone thickness.
Master Class Pro-Tip: Intraoperative Pearl
Measure residual patellar bone thickness with a vernier caliper before and after resection; restoring composite patellar thickness (bone plus polyethylene button) to match the native pre-resection dimension prevents anterior overstuffing and loss of flexion.
Master Class Pro-Tip: Caliper Calibrated Patellar Resection & Overstuffing Prevention
Curator & Series Attribution
Curated by Dr. Joseph Bernstein, MD (Director of Education) • Managing Editor: Dr. Christian Veillette, MD • OrthopaedicsOne Surgical Education Series • Adult Reconstruction: Knee
Last Updated on September 28, 2026
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